In a longitudinal evaluation of 37 patients with severe depression who had undergone brain
magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) 6 months—2 years (mean 14.1 months) previously, the
degree of residual dysfunction was predicted by the extent of subcortical white matter
hyperintensities (WMHS, p<. 01), longer time elapsed since the MRI scan (p<. 05), older age
(p<. 05), and older age at onset of affective disorder (p<. 05). Ten (27%) patients developed
“probable” dementia syndromes of the vascular type, with such syndromes being predicted …